Category : create

How to Design a Beautiful Yard That’s Mower-Friendly

One of the good things about fall is we get to start planning our lawns and landscapes for next year. Some of us may be thinking about ways to enhance a plain lawn, while others are looking for a way to make it easier to mow around beds, features and plantings. These design tips will make it easier to mow, while giving your yard a more finished, landscaped look. …

Overseeding Southern Lawns for Winter Color

Why Overseed? Warm-season grasses have a major drawback for homeowners—their color disappears when winter arrives! To have green grass in winter, some southerners overseed their lawns using cool-season grasses, such as fine fescue, bluegrass, or ryegrass. How Does It Work? These annual cool-season grasses find a hospitable habitat among the dormant southern grasses and then die off with the return of warm weather in the spring. What Are…

Methods of Planting a Lawn

There are four methods to planting a new lawn: sod, seed, sprigs, and plugs. Sod Apply a starter fertilizer high in phosphorus, such as 2:1:1 or 1:1:1 ratio, then lightly water the area. Have the pallets of sod delivered to a shady spot if possible and begin work immediately upon delivery of your order. Sod can go bad quickly, especially if it heats up or dries out. If you cannot…

Five Ways To Finish Your Outdoor Projects Like A Pro

(ARA) – What do those guys on the landscaping shows have that you don’t have? (Besides their own TV show, that is.) They have all the right tools to make their job easier, whether they’re building a deck, clearing brush to make way for a new patio or digging a hole for a backyard pond. Fortunately, you don’t need the budget of a television landscaping celebrity or the storage space of…

How to Stripe Your Lawn Like a Pro

What’s the Deal With Lawn Striping?

At the same time you mow, you can create everything from simple, professional stripes to an eye-catching piece of art. Lawn striping, lawnscapes, yard art, whatever you call it, it’s beautiful. Sports venues have been adding stripes, waves and checkerboards to their fields for years. Now homeowners can add a professional look to their yards, too! You might think it takes hours of work, but you can create simple…

Six Steps to Planting a New Lawn

Planting a new lawn is a big job; it may be best to tackle the project in sections. You can begin this process by redoing the worst or most visible lawn areas, and then make plans to tackle the remaining areas the following year. Starting with smaller sections instead of the entire lawn keeps the job manageable and makes the critical step of watering feasible for homeowners who do not have…

Methods of Removing Turf

When planting a new lawn, the first step is to kill and remove any poor-quality turf. This process can be accomplished through several methods including solarization, heavy mulches, hoes or sod cutters, and herbicides. When selecting your method, keep your lawn and climate conditions in mind, as some methods may be a better fit for your lawn than others. Solarization: Cut the old lawn as close to grade as possible before you begin….

Fixing Grade Problems

When planting a new lawn, take the time to fix any existing grade problems (after removing the old turf and before adding amendments to the soil). For minor grading problems, small versions of earth-moving equipment are often available to rent or buy. You can also use a landscaping rake for working topsoil to the proper grade. To make minor grade adjustments use a landscape rake. Water the area. Later, fill where…

Caring for a Newly Planted Lawn

You have put a lot of work into creating a new lawn, so don’t forget the most important step. Plan for watering needs before you plant your lawn. Insufficient water and overwatering are the leading causes of new-lawn failure. Take precautions to prevent damage. Minimize play and foot traffic on new and sodded lawns for at least three weeks. Do not fertilize new lawns for at least six weeks. After…